The Comfort and Peace of Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd - is He yours?
The following are David’s words from Psalm 23:
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.
This psalm is one of the most comforting passages in the Bible. I believe we find it so comforting because of the picture of peace and comfort it paints.
Psalm 23 is from the perspective of a sheep with a loving, kind, watchful shepherd.
The sheep knows it’s deeply loved because of the shepherd's actions. The sheep knows it’s safe because of the constant presence of the shepherd. The sheep isn’t concerned about the future because it knows the shepherd’s care.
The life of a Christian is a life full of peace which “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). Why?
Because of the Savior - our Good Shepherd (John 10:11-15).